The Clinical Etymologist

Send us Fan MailA quiet weekend on call begins with the retirement of Dr. Flow, a urologist who made the difficult look simple.  A search for the perfect farewell wine—Pee No More—is abruptly interrupted by a sodium of 122.  At the bedside, memorized algorithms begin to unravel under real clinical pressure.   Through conversation, we explore ADH, aquaporins, and the physiology behind hyponatremia.Why does volume override tonicity—and how can treatment itself become dangerous?In Part 1 of Sodium Doom, we move beyond flowcharts and begin to truly understand sodium. 

Send us Fan MailIn medicine, we often order tests reflexively, trusting that numbers will guide us toward truth. But what happens when a test is elevated — or completely normal — and the patient remains a mystery? In this episode, we explore C-reactive protein, a familiar marker that is often misunderstood. Through one challenging patient, we uncover what CRP truly measures — and what it does not. And in doing so, we are reminded that not all suffering can be captured in a laboratory value. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we explore a common clinical paradox—anemia in the presence of abundant iron. Through a real bedside conversation, we move beyond memorized lab patterns and uncover the physiology that explains them. What does it mean when ferritin is high, yet the patient remains anemic? Why does the body hide iron during inflammation, and what role does hepcidin play in this process? Together, we follow iron’s journey—from absorption to storage—and discover where the system breaks down. By the end, anemia of chronic disease will no longer be a pattern to memorize, but a story you understand.

Send us Fan Mail Some time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away,a Marvel supervillain interrupted a lesson in hematology.What happens when all the iron in your body suddenly disappears?Do red blood cells simply fade… or do they shrink in quiet protest?Tonight, we explore iron deficiency, microcytosis, and the elegant physics of erythropoiesis. 

Send us Fan MailIn today’s episode, we explore how an overlooked organ can reveal a neurologic emergency. We question whether every “mechanical fall” is truly mechanical. We trace the hierarchy of micturition — from pons to sacrum. And we see how careful listening at the bedside leads to diagnosis.

Send us Fan MailIn today’s episode, we explore one of the most common — and most misunderstood — diagnoses in medicine: urinary tract infection. Why does foul-smelling urine trigger antibiotics? What truly defines a UTI — bacteria, inflammation, or symptoms? And how often are we treating colonization instead of infection? Let’s return to the bedside, where a simple urine odor almost led us astray. 

Send us Fan MailSome time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away, a familiar IV bag sparked an unfamiliar question. Why does a fluid that contains lactate not worsen lactic acidosis? Why is it safe in septic shock — and even preferred? And why do its electrolytes matter more than most of us were ever taught? In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we follow an emergency department encounter to unpack the physiology, history, and misconceptions behind Lactated Ringer’s. 

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Season 20.9% “Normal” Saline is one of the most commonly prescribed intravenous fluids in medicine, yet its name is one of the great misnomers of clinical practice.In this episode, The Clinical Etymologist traces the laboratory origins of 0.9% sodium chloride and explains why it was never designed to replicate human plasma.Through bedside teaching and clinical physiology, we explore how excess chloride alters acid–base balance and renal function.The episode examines key evidence demonstrating the unintended potential harms of routine saline use and clarifies when “abnormal” normal saline is exactly the right choice—and when it is not. 

Send us Fan MailSome time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away… A new call shift had just been announced, and our clinical etymologist found himself preparing for another unpredictable day. It felt fitting—almost poetic—that it was November 19th, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Little did the Clinical Etymologist know that this call would bring together etymology, Greek legend, and the physiology of hormonal clearance in the most unexpected way. Medicine has a way of weaving history into the present, often when we least expect it. 

Send us Fan MailOn a routine day call, two eager pre-clerks join the Clinical Etymologist in the ER, hoping to witness internal medicine in action.What we get instead is a cramped cast room, a patient with right-sided weakness, and a half full urinal that almost fell.  Not an ideal setting for teaching or learning.This episode isn’t about rare diagnoses — it’s about staying steady when the answers aren’t clear.  We explore stroke, vasculitis, and the power of physical exam.But more than that, we explore what it means to teach — with integrity, in real time. 

Send us Fan MailA group of soon-to-be clerks join Dr. Kim in a high-stakes simulation to unravel the physiology, history, and bedside reasoning behind acute myocardial infarction. Through dialogue, humor, and hypothesis-driven examination, they explore chest pain differentials, inferior STEMI nuances, vagal physiology, and the careful use of nitroglycerin. The episode highlights rapid therapies—from aspirin’s buccal absorption to the early plaque-stabilizing power of statins. A memorable twist arrives when the standardized patient outshines the class with the true origin of statins. 

Send us Fan MailMr. Alexander Kole presents with alcohol intoxication.  Odd lab value is noted thathides more than it reveals. In this episode, Dr. Kim and his Padawan Layla explorethe clinical mystery of the osmolar gap — when numbers deceive and time unmasks the truth. Through humor, teaching, and reflection, this case shows how physiology, not formulas, saves the day.

Send us Fan MailInfectious mononucleosis reminds us that medicine often lives in the space between certainty and curiosity. The tests help, but the story — the pattern of fatigue, fever, and swollen nodes — still matters most. Every patient teaches us that diagnosis is not a checkbox, but a dialogue between cells, science, and clinical sense. And sometimes, the most contagious thing in the room is curiosity itself.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Kim and his Padawan, Nina, rediscover the forgotten art of the respiratory exam—from tactile fremitus to percussion, from the German for 99 to toy boat.   Through etymology, history, and bedside humor, they explore how sound and touch connect anatomy, pathophysiology, and the human story behind every breath.

Send us Fan MailThree days of call. Three dozen consults. Three cups of coffee barely holding the Clinical Etymologist together. This is the story of what happens when exhaustion meets imagination — and a lactate lesson hidden inside a Matrix dream. In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we blur the lines between reality and dream, weaving medicine, etymology, and a touch of cinema into one teaching pearl. From Enterococcus articles to Neo’s slow-motion battles, from urine bottles in orbit to the hidden twists of D-lactate, join me as we discover how even fatigue can spark unforgettable teaching moments.

Send us Fan MailThe momentous discovery of Cobalamin 77 years ago made a macrocytic impact on medicine, saving millions of lives from their pernicious fate. In celebration, we take a subacute and combined degenerative dive into the world of Vitamin B12 deficiency.From raw liver cures to Nobel Prizes, from cobalt atoms to collapsed gait, this episode traces the fascinating history and clinical nuance of a vitamin that does far more than make red cells. Join Dr. Kim and a curious medical student as they unpack the story behind megaloblastic anemia, nerve damage without anemia, and why B12 is not just a number to tick off — but a diagnostic lens into aging, memory loss, and evolution itself.By the end of this episode, you’ll never look at falls, forgetfulness, or a “normal CBC” the same way again.

Send us Fan MailThe previous episode Letting Go, Gently was a heartfelt reminder of the human side of medicine, a glimpse into one of those moments that shape us as not just health care providers but also healers. Sometimes, we need to pause to reflect as physicians.  Today, we pivot back to the bedside, to the Emergency Room of a teaching hospital where a timid second-year student, a brand name, and a routine clinical checkbox unexpectedly converge into a tale that weaves pharmacology, etymology, and a dash of history — a story worth telling… and sharing.

Send us Fan MailSo far, our beloved clinical etymologist, Dr. Kim, has explored the roots of medical language through history, etymology, and clinical reasoning.   But today is different. Instead of tracing the origin of a word, he turns to the origin of something far more profound—the human moments that shape medicine itself. This special episode steps away from terminology and textbooks, and lingers instead on the quiet space between a mother and daughter, a physician and his patient, and the Act of Letting Go, Gently. 

Send us Fan MailToday, we venture beyond the usual clinical vignettes and into the art of examination itself.   In honor of Dr. Heinrich Quincke—who, in August 1891, performed the world’s first lumbar puncture in Kiel, Germany— we celebrate the neurological exam by revisiting a phrase uttered all too casually:“Cranial nerves were all normal.”But what do we really mean when we say that?To help us find out, I’m joined by my Padawan Donald—tall, confident, and emphatically surgical—  whose certainty about cranial nerves rivals his enthusiasm for making things “great again.”Together, we’ll dissect the subtle clues, clinical pearls, and centuries-old history that make the cranial nerve exam so much more than a throwaway line on morning rounds.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, the saga of the adrenal glands continues.   Join Dr. Kim and his Padawan William as they navigate Cold War cortisol curves, Addison’s mysteries, and the art of stress-dose steroids. This is The Cortisol Strikes Back — where endocrinology meets storytelling, and medicine meets the Force. 

Send us Fan MailThis is Part 1 of a two-part podcast all about the adrenal glands. In this episode, we go back to the beginning — to anatomy, etymology, and the history behind cortisol. We'll follow a curious medical student and discover how adrenal glands were first identified, how cortisol was isolated, and what cow adrenal glands had to do with World War II. All of that, before we even talk about stress steroids.

Send us Fan MailAsterixis: If it's not a liver tremor, what is it then?In this episode, Dr. Kim unpacks the etymology, pathophysiology, and clinical relevance of this peculiar sign.  From hepatic encephalopathy to hidden thalamic lesions, we explore the many meanings behind a fluttering hand.  And yes, it all starts with a Pedawan medical student and ends with a nerdy neurological farewell.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Kim travels back to the summer of 1976 — when veterans gathered in Philadelphia and unknowingly faced a microscopic enemy hiding in the air.  Join us for an etymological dive into a bacterium that once wreaked havoc in Philadelphia.   From Greek etymology to cooling towers, and from Rocky to respiratory failure, this is the legend of Legionella — the pneumonia with a punchline. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Simon Kim takes you on a head-spinning journey through the physiology, history, and humor behind orthostatic hypotension. What do a fainting patient, a Greek root word, and a Jedi medical student all have in common? You’re about to find out.From the true meaning of orthostatic, to the origins of the 30/20/10 rule, to why your patient might be tipping over during rounds, this episode breaks down complex clinical reasoning with storytelling, etymology, and just the right dose of levity.🚨 Warning: May cause lightheadedness from excessive learning.

Send us Fan MailIn the inaugural episode of The Clinical Etymologist, Dr. Simon Kim an internist and self-appointed Clinical Etymologist unpacks the case of “scleral icterus” — a phrase we all use, but one that’s anatomically inaccurate. Through storytelling, humor, and clinical clarity, this episode explores the physiology of bilirubin, the causes of jaundice, and why the yellowing of the eyes doesn’t involve the sclera at all.  We’ll trace the path of bile from hemoglobin to urobilin, decode the pre-, intra-, and post-hepatic patterns of jaundice, and revisit first-year ocular anatomy. Along the way: Star Wars references, a nod to BTS, and a butterfly flapping its wings in Tokyo. Because in medicine, every word has a pulse — and every misnomer has a lesson.